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4/3/11
1:19:13 (unofficial Garmin time) –> a 4-minute PR!!!
7:55 avg pace
I’m very pleased! A full race report to come tomorrow, along with official results. Off to lunch with Matt and Hawk and then dinner with Camille and Reggie tonight (and a few beers)!
by Kristy 5 Comments
Thank you to everyone who commented on my post yesterday. It seems like we are all in the same boat! After I hit publish, I kept thinking of things to add, so here goes…
I cannot stress enough that training for a marathon should not be about weight loss. Endurance runners need calories and if you don’t supply your body with enough fuel, how can you expect it to run 20 miles? I’ve made every mistake in the book when it comes to training – including not fueling enough – and, trust me, that 20-miler is NOT pretty. If you treat your body well, it will treat you well.
My cutting out sweets has nothing to do with getting rid of those 5 lbs. I recognized an unhealthy addiction (and it was becoming an addiction) and I wanted to correct it. It’s about making an effort to be healthier. And it’s not permanent, I can bring sweets back in the picture post-marathon (in moderation, of course…after I eat a Blizzard the size of my head post-marathon :))
Lastly, if these 5 lbs help me PR on May 1, they can become a permanent fixture!
Check out Kara’s blog – she wrote a similar post a few weeks ago.
Keri also made a great comment: The same thing happens to me. I always tell people I don’t run to lose weight and that I actually gain weight. I tell my friends if they want to lose pounds to start doing weights!
Thanks for sharing Kara and Keri!
by Kristy 8 Comments
3/28/11
6 miles easy
57:30
9:35 avg pace
Brr, still chilly Philly here…with no end in sight. Waaah!
As I mentioned yesterday, my training this week will be switched up a bit to allow for a mini-taper for Sunday’s Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. I really want to PR in this race (previous 10-mile PR is 1:23) but I still need to maintain my weekly mileage and key workouts. Also, since I’m knee deep into the Monster Month, my legs aren’t as fresh for racing. So this mini-taper is really necessary. So how do you finagle a mini-taper into marathon training for a tune-up race?
With the race on Sunday, I know I want 2 days of complete rest (meaning no running; an easy yoga class is OK). This has worked well for me in the past. So Friday and Saturday are mandatory rest days. I got my easy run out of the way today and I will do my long run tomorrow morning (thankfully, it’s only 15 miles this week). This will allow enough time for recovery before Sunday. That leaves a tempo run and speed work. I’m counting my race on Sunday as my speed work for this week (I will be running like someone is chasing me) and my tempo run will be on Thursday. The tempo will also be at an easier pace (goal marathon pace) so I can recover faster. For you visual people:
MON: easy run
TUE: long run
WED: rest/yoga
THU: tempo
FRI: rest/yoga
SAT: rest
SUN: race
I’m still getting in my 39 miles for the week and still hitting my key workouts.
I’m a big advocate for doing tune-up races during marathon or half marathon training. Your tune-up race can be great practice for the “big event”. But sometimes fitting them in your training schedule can be difficult. It’ll require some planning and a little knowledge about your own recovery but it’s totally worth it 🙂
Do you have any mini-taper tips? How do you handle racing and training at the same time?